East Greenwich Township, New Jersey

8 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 5 water, with the other 10 percent provided by private town wells that help maintain overall water pressure. The biggest infrastructure challenge, however, is that East Greenwich started as a farming community. The original residents could never have predicted the importance of expanding infrastructure like water and sewer, especially along what is now the I-295 corridors. As a solution, the town created its Development Zone plan, detailing all the areas where additional infrastructure or possible expansion could take place. It’s bolstered by New Jersey’s Payment-in-Lieu-of- Taxes (PILOT) program, instituted in 1971, which allows tax abatement savings up to 30 years for new builds. The specific breakdown is 95 percent of the tax dollars go to the township and the other five percent go to the county. An area where East Greenwich especially excels is in its green initiatives. “Afterall, green is part of our town name,” jokes the Mayor. “We’re part of the Sustainable JerseyTM Program, offered through the State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. We were awarded the bronze certification in October 2014.” The town has an Environmental Commission with its own Green Team and there are also solar energy power panels located on the Greenwich Township Municipal Court Office, the East Greenwich Public Works, and on the East Greenwich Township School District property. The town is even planting a brand- new pollinator garden in Mickleton Park. The Mayor acknowledges, “We received a grant from Sustainable JerseyTM for $10,000, so we’re placing QR scan codes along the pathway with assorted flowers, plants, and trees indigenous to our local environment. Visitors walking through the garden can scan the codes to access the plant information and hopefully create pollinator gardens in their own backyards.” Before thinking about future goals for the township, Deputy Mayor Philbin first reflects on lessons learned. “We’ve been fortunate to have seen both the good and bad of government. We’ve had a lot of success, but it’s come through experience and hard work.” Mayor Archer agrees that it’s essential to consider the past before moving towards the future. Over the next three to five years, he wants to see the community’s continued “smart” growth, noting, “We need to maintain financial stability, which comes with running the town like a business. We need to provide vital services while ensuring East Greenwich Township remains a pristine place for families to grow and live out their dreams.” EAST GREENWI CH TOWNSHI P , NEW JERSEY